1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information terminal devices, and more specifically to an information terminal device capable of displaying a vicinity of a present location, destination, specific point, and the like, receiving point information such as information on tourist attractions, restaurants, and accommodations (so called POI information) from information servers, providing, to a user, information on a route, distance, time distance, and traffic to the point, and further capable of utilizing enormous amounts of and the latest information through a communications function.
2. Description of the Background Art
One example of a conventional information terminal device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 9-229694 (1997/229694). FIG. 18 shows a navigation data adding system 1800 in which a navigation system 1801, as an exemplary information terminal device, and an additional data providing system 1802 are communicably connected.
In the navigation system 1801, a storage medium 1803 is implemented by a CD-ROM, for example. The storage medium 1803 stores cartographic data and sightseeing information. A user operation is detected by an input detector 1804 and then recognized by a controller 1807. The user operation is, for example, a selection made on a menu displayed on a display 1805. On receiving the selection, the controller 1807 accesses the storage medium 1803 to fetch the cartographic data and the sightseeing information for display on the display 1805.
Next, described is a case where the navigation system 1801 receives, for display, additional data from the additional data providing system 1802 through communications. In such case, the controller 1807 first determines what additional data is to be requested based on screen contents indicating a screen currently being displayed and being stored in a display contents storage 1806. A transmitter 1809 transmits a data request requesting the determined additional data. After transmission of the data request, the additional data transmitted from the additional data providing system 1802 is received by a receiver 1811 and stored in an additional data storage 1810. Thereafter, an image generator 1808 embeds the additional data in a predetermined template to generate a display screen. Finally, the display screen is displayed on the display 1805.
On the other end, in the additional data providing system 1802, a data search part 1815 performs a search in response to the data request which is transmitted from the navigation system 251801 and received at the receiver 1812. A data conversion part 1813 converts the search result into a format suitable for communications and a transmitter 1814 transmits the converted data to the navigation system 1801. Further, the additional data providing system 1802 accesses an external network 1819 through a network access part 1817 and receives information therefrom. The received information is sent to a data generator 1818. Based on the received information, the data generator 1818 generates data required as service data. The generated data is stored in a data storage 1816 and provided to the navigation system 1801 through the data search part 1815 as the additional data.
With such configuration, the navigation system 1801 receives the latest and detailed information from the additional data providing system 1802.
As another example of the conventional information terminal device, a car navigation device with a communications function is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 10-103977 (1998/103977). The car navigation device according to the publication first searches local data and then an access point of an ISP (Internet Service Provider) close to a present location. The car navigation device thus provides detailed information on facilities in the vicinity of the present location to a user by displaying home pages (Web sites) thereof. In specific, according to the invention disclosed in the publication, a WWW (World Wide Web) browsing function, which is normally installed in personal computers, is installed in the car navigation device. The car navigation device internally stores URLs of home pages in correspondences with locations of an owner of the device. In this manner, the car navigation system is able to display detailed information on an arbitrary vicinity area on a map by using the WWW browser, thereby allowing a car navigation system to receive the latest and detailed information.
The information terminal devices disclosed in the above publications are both capable of receiving the latest and detailed information through the use of the communications function. The information terminal devices, however, each have following problems. Note that in the publications No. 9-229694 (1997/229694) and No. 10-103977 (1998/103977), the navigation system 1801 and the car navigation device respectively serve as the information terminal device.
First, the problem of the information terminal device according to the publication No. 9-229694 (1997/229694) lies in the fact that the information terminal device (navigation system 1801) and the information server (additional data providing system 1802) communicate using a communications protocol exclusively dedicated thereto in the navigation data adding system 1800. To be specific, the additional data providing system 1802, as its name implies, provides additional information of predetermined contents to the information terminal device as an update. That means, when displaying restaurant information, for example, the information terminal device requests transmission of additional data by designating an information screen number. As such, the information terminal device and the information server are engaged too often.
Accordingly, if the information server provides a new service with new information display feature, it is required to update not only the information server but also the information terminal device. Further, whenever a new model of the information terminal device is released, it is also required to newly set up a corresponding information server. As it is difficult to immediately discontinue the services for the old models provided from the existing servers, business costs run up.
On the other hand, the information terminal device of the publication No. 10-103977 (1998/103977) can access enormous amounts of information all over the world by using a standard communications protocol and the WWW browser. The information terminal device, however, is only capable of displaying home pages on the WWW and displaying the locations of their owners on the map. Therefore, the problem comes up that information is not provided to users in a format suitable for a function such as route guidance.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information terminal device capable of receiving various information in a format suitable for route guidance by using a standard communications protocol.
A first aspect of the present invention is directed to an information terminal device structured to be mobile and having access to a plurality of information service centers on a network which is using a predetermined protocol for communications, wherein, each of the information service centers is structured as being capable of transmitting information in a tag format indicating attributes and contents of the information in accordance with the communications protocol, the device comprising a first receiver receiving route information indicating a route from a start point to a destination and guidance information for guiding the route, a route guidance part guiding the route from the start point to the destination by using first cartographic data having a basis on the route information and/or the guidance information received by the first receiver, and a second receiver receiving, from each of the information service centers, point information in the tag format indicating details of each important point on the route guided by the route guidance part, as required, wherein, the route guidance part presents the point information received by the second receiver simultaneously with a map based on the first cartographic data to clarify each important point on the route.
As described in the prior art section, the information terminal device is not capable of receiving information from various service centers if the information terminal device and each information service center perform data communications with the exclusive communications protocol.
In the first aspect, however, the information terminal device and each information service center perform data communications in accordance with a standard communications protocol used in a communications network. Therefore the information terminal device can communicate with every information service center on the communications network, increasing user""s choices of information. Further, a format of information exchanged between the information terminal device and each information service center is standardized. Thereby, each information service center can provide various information services without restraint as long as the information is provided in the tag format. Accordingly, the information terminal device is not necessary to be added with a new function even if a new information service is provided, resulting in reduction of business costs.
Still further, with use of the tag format, the point information easily becomes related more closely to the cartographic data. Therefore, a plurality of information can be presented to a user at the same time, thereby realizing the route guidance flexibly suiting the preferences of the user.
According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the guidance information includes ID information simply specifying each important point, the device further comprises a request part sending a request for a search for the point information using the ID information to each of the information service centers , as required, and the second receiver receives the point information from each of the information service centers after the request is sent by the request part.
As described in the second aspect, the request part requests the point information, as required. Therefore, the information terminal device having flexibility on reception of the point information can be provided. For example, the information terminal device receives the point information when having high processing capacity and does not receive the point information when having low processing capacity.
According to a third aspect, in the second aspect, the ID information is any of a phone number, an address, and a zip code, each of the information service centers converts any of the phone number, the address, and the zip code received as a keyword to a combination of longitude and latitude coordinates, and the second receiver receives the point information on each important point including the combination of the longitude and latitude coordinates thereof.
According to a fourth aspect, in the second aspect, the ID information is a combination of the longitude and latitude coordinates, each of the information service centers converts the combination of the longitude and latitude coordinates received as a keyword to the phone number, the address and/or the zip code, and the second receiver receives the point information on each important point including the phone number, the address and/or the zip code thereof.
As described in the third and the fourth aspects, the information service center is capable of providing various conversion functions to the information terminal device upon requests made therefrom, and thus is capable of providing information services with more variations.
According to a fifth aspect, in the first aspect, the point information includes second cartographic data having a scale different from that of the first cartographic data, and the route guidance part presents a map based on the second cartographic data received by the second receiver simultaneously with the map based on the first cartographic data.
According to a sixth aspect, in the fifth aspect, the second cartographic data is cartographic data for showing an enlarged map of a vicinity of the important point.
According to a seventh aspect, in the fifth aspect, the second cartographic data is cartographic data for three-dimensionally showing a vicinity of the important point.
According to an eighth aspect, in the first aspect, the point information is the second cartographic data for showing details in a building or an underground mall as being the important point, and the route guidance part presents a map based on the second cartographic data received by the second receiver simultaneously with the map based on the first cartographic data.
According to a ninth aspect, in the fifth aspect, when the second receiver receives a plurality of second cartographic data, the route guidance part presents the map based on the second cartographic data of the largest data size simultaneously with the map based on the first cartographic data.
According to a tenth aspect, in the fifth aspect, when the second receiver receives a plurality of second cartographic data, the route guidance part presents the map based on the second cartographic data of the smallest data size simultaneously with the map based on the first cartographic data.
According to an eleventh aspect, in the fifth aspect, when the second receiver receives a plurality of second cartographic data, the route guidance part presents the map based on the latest second cartographic data simultaneously with the map based on the first cartographic data.
As described in the fifth to the eleventh aspects, the route guidance part simultaneously displays the map based on the second cartographic data with the map based on the first cartographic data in accordance with the priorities respectively described in the aspects. In this manner, user-friendly route guidance further reflecting the user""s preferences can be presented.
According to a twelfth aspect, in the first aspect, the device further comprises a request part sending requests to the plurality of information service centers for searches for information relevant to a point that a user is interested in, based on a keyword relevant to the point that the user is interested in, a third receiver receiving the search results from the plurality of information service centers after the requests are sent by the request part, and a presentation part presenting the search result received by the third receiver to the user, wherein, the route guidance part guides a route to a point which is selected as the destination from among the search results presented by the presentation part.
As described in the twelfth aspect, the information terminal device can present the search results from each of the information service centers as candidates for the destination, thereby enhancing the user""s choices of the destinations.
According to a thirteenth aspect, in the twelfth aspect, when the third receiver receives a plurality of search results, the presentation part presents the search result of a larger data size with higher priority.
According to a fourteenth aspect, in the twelfth aspect, when the third receiver receives a plurality of search results, the presentation part presents the search result of a smaller data size with higher priority.
According to a fifteenth aspect, in the twelfth aspect, when the third receiver receives a plurality of search results, the presentation part presents the search result of a later date of update with higher priority.
As described in the thirteenth to fifteenth aspects, the information terminal device presents the candidates for the destination to a user based on the priorities respectively described in the aspects. In this manner, the user can easily select the destination meeting his/her preference from many candidates.
According to a sixteenth aspect, in the first aspect, the point information includes first information simply specifying the important point and second information specifying the important point in detail, and the first information includes at least tags specifying a name and a phone number of the important point.
As described in the sixteenth aspect, the point information includes at least the first information simply specifying the important point. Accordingly, the point information has the data structure in which the first information is easily separated from the second information. The information terminal device of the low processing capacity thus presents only the first information to the user, and that of the high processing capacity presents other information included in the point information.
According to a seventeenth aspect, in the first aspect, the route information includes at least tags specifying a name of a road to be traveled, a name of a crossing being a branch point, a distance between the branch points, and a turning direction at the branch point.
As described in the seventeenth aspect, the route in the route information can be simply specified by the tags. Accordingly the route information has the data structure in which a plurality of information are easily separated from each other. The information terminal device of the low processing capacity thus performs the route guidance based on the simple route information, and that of the high processing capacity performs the route guidance based on other information included in the route information.
According to an eighteenth aspect, in the first aspect, a crossing number is uniquely determined for each of nationwide crossings, and the route information includes at least tags specifying the crossing number.
As described in the eighteenth aspect, by including the tags specifying the crossing number, the route information can specify the crossing on the route with a more simple format.
According to a nineteenth aspect, in the seventeenth aspect, the guidance information includes the branch point described in the route information in the tag format, and information on at least a name and a phone number of a point being a landmark for the branch point.
As described in the nineteenth aspect, the route information includes at least the name and the phone number of the point being the landmark for the branch point. Accordingly, the route information has the data structure in which a plurality of information are easily separated from each other.
A twentieth aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for route guidance used for an information terminal device structured to be mobile and having access to a plurality of information service centers on a network which is using, or uses, a predetermined protocol for communications, wherein, each of the information service centers is structured as being capable of transmitting information in a tag format indicating attributes and contents of the information in accordance with the communications protocol, the method comprising the steps of receiving route information indicating a route from a start point to a destination and guidance information for guiding the route, guiding the route from the start point to the destination by using cartographic data having a basis on the route information and/or the guidance information received in the receiving step by using cartographic data, and receiving, from each of the information service centers, point information in the tag format indicating details of each important point on the route guided in the guiding step, as required, wherein, in the guiding step, the point information received in the point information receiving step is presented simultaneously with a map based on the cartographic data to clarify each important point on the route.
As described in the twentieth aspect, similarly to the first aspect, reduction of the business costs can be achieved and also the route guidance flexibly suiting the user""s preferences can be realized.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.